


Safe and Sound

by LFMH021



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gen, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mary Hatford is here what'dya expect?, Past Child Abuse, Past Violence, Some Fluff, Some closure, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 22:52:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17170961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFMH021/pseuds/LFMH021
Summary: “Thank you, child. To return the favour, if you can wish for anything right at this moment, what would it be?”Neil felt Andrew’s eyes on him. And realising that he couldn’t really ask for anything more than he already had, and seeing that he didn’t really believe with what the woman was saying, he waved her off and said with a little sardonic smile, “Care to give me one last week to bond with my dead mom?”He heard Kevin choke, Nicky let out a startled laugh, Aaron making a noise of disbelief and almost heard Andrew roll his eyes.His eyes widened when the woman smiled. “Your wish is my command.” With that, she suddenly vanished.Neil never realized that giving out his lunch to a woman who calls herself a starving witch just wanting to survive on the day before Halloween, and wasting the wish she can grant him by off-handed-ly wishing that he could have just a week to "bond" with his mother again, could somehow backfire and cause such change to his life.





	Safe and Sound

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays! Lemme bring you a ficlet that was supposed to be published last Halloween but was postponed because of my laziness. 
> 
> Here is my take if Neil ever got a chance to be with Mary Hatford for just a week. I dunno where this even came from, to be completely honest.
> 
> Just to be safe, read the tags for trigger warnings. Please do know that I am not romanticizing what abuse Mary inflicted on Neil at all. She abused him and nothing would ever change that fact. I wrote this because I wondered if the two ever met, what would have happened? Will they ever get any closure? Will she remain a bastard of a mother? 
> 
> Happy reading! <3

The thing was, it all started when Nicky invited Andrew’s lot to go eat in the new fast food chain few minutes from the Fox Tower, all the while claiming how great the shop was and that their reviews were all positive.

Seeing as they still had few days before classes begin again, they all agreed. Except for Kevin, who bitched about missing time to practice instead, and that they should all stick to their diet because fast food was never good in maintaining a good performance.

Neil tuned him out by throwing the beanbag towards the ex-Raven’s direction. It hit the still-scolding Kevin on the stomach. Aaron snorted from where he was drinking a glass of water by the kitchen counter. Nicky slipped from laughing, and Andrew remained emotionless except for the little glimmer of amusement in his eyes when Kevin yelped in shock.

“Shut up, Kevin. I literally run miles in a day. A single meal out of my diet won’t kill me,” He snapped, grabbed the beanbag and placed it back beside the other one. He picked his PSU hoodie and pulled it over his black shirt.

“But the others don’t exercise as much as we do, Neil! It’s fucking hard enough already to keep Andrew to eat only a pint of ice cream in a day.”

“Shut up, Kevin, or I will get rid of your supply of vodka. Make you suffer and all that,” Neil grunted. He reached for one of the vodka bottles inside their kitchen drawer before threatening to throw it outside the open windows. “No one’s outside to get hurt with this. Well, except for you, but not like I care.”

“Fuck you,” Kevin spat.

He smirked, and grabbed another one in his empty hand before putting them outside the window. “The crack these bottles will make seems to sound very satisfying.”

“Fine, fine! I’ll shut the fuck up, and let you eat junk and kill yourself with preservatives. Leave the innocent vodkas alone.”

He shrugged and placed them back on the shelf. “See? It’s that easy to agree, isn’t it?” He turned, and found Nicky laughing, and Aaron shaking his head, exasperated with their exchange, and Andrew already unlocking the door.

“Let’s go,” Andrew said, unimpressed, and walked out.

 

Neil blinked when Nicky turned up suddenly beside him. He raised an eyebrow at the other’s expectant grin. “What, Nicky?”

“Come on, I wanna hear your opinion about the place!”

He pretended to think about his answer for few moments, and he could see the way Nicky’s expression turning disappointed, so he quickly amended with, “To be honest, it’s actually satisfactory. Worth the bucks.”

Nicky’s face immediately brightened up after. He smiled smugly at Aaron. “See? Told you he would like it.”

“He’s literally deprived of eating anything other than instant noodles and pre-packed food for years, Nicky,” Aaron grumbled.

“Rude,” Nicky chided.

“Don’t worry, Nicky. Aaron is literally deprived of others’ company except his mother for years, so him being an asshole isn’t really surprising,” He stated with a wave of dismissal. Nicky choked beside him.

He received a kick on the shin that made him stumble a little. “Fuck you,” Aaron growled.

It did not actually hurt but he knew with the way Andrew turned towards his twin that the unexpected violence from the latter was not welcomed. So he quickly changed the subject. “By the way, what are we supposed to do with this left-over?”

Kevin only huffed in amusement. But Nicky was kind enough to give him a response. “That’s why we divided them, Neil. It’s up to you what you wanna do with yours. I will finish mine by eating it during dinner.”

“Same,” Aaron added, pretending as if nothing happened just several moments ago.

Andrew shrugged when Neil turned to look at him. “Wasn’t sweet enough for me. I will find ways to make it suit my taste more.”

He bit his lips to stop himself from smiling but with the way Andrew poke his cheek, he knew that he failed from hiding his fond expression.

“Shut up.”

“I did not even say anything,” He protested with a sideways glance at the goalkeeper.

“Your flirting is disgusting yet also adorable,” Nicky commented with a delighted laugh while Aaron made gagging noises beside him.

Kevin rolled his eyes, and Neil knew that he would say something negative the moment he opened his mouth so he shoved a hand towards the others’ direction to shut him up. Nicky snorted. Aaron huffed in bemusement. “Nicky, what’s our plan for Halloween tomorrow?”

“Oh! Are you actually interested, Neil?”

“No. I just wanted to know so that I can volunteer for something other than wearing the costume you planned for me to wear this year,” He deadpanned.

Nicky gave him an exasperated look. “I have looked all over the mall for that costume, Neil. You will wear it.”

“No.”

“You will.”

“No.”

“Neil, it’s just a vampire costume. Nothing to be scared about. I could have given you Kevin’s sumo wrestler costume but you might stab me on my sleep,” Nicky whined.

Neil smirked. “What made you think I still won’t?”

“Because Erik will know, and you guys actually get along so you wouldn’t want him to be sad,” Nicky chimed.

Aaron scoffed. “What gave you the idea he will know?”

The twins’ cousin blinked then frowned. “He will know if you do something. He would wonder why I’d be silent after Halloween.”

Andrew chimed in with an apathetic, “I am very good at imitating non-verbal mannerisms. I have your whole personality memorized.”

Nicky blinked and looked at his companions. “Why do I have a feeling you got this whole thing planned out already?”

There was that silence that confirmed his suspicion. Kevin’s sympathetic look at the backliner also didn’t help.

Nicky gulped and skittered away from the other four. “I think I won’t sleep tonight.”

Neil flinched when an older woman suddenly blocked his way with a cardboard. He blinked and looked down at the old lady sitting on the sidewalk with the signage: _HELP THIS POOR WITCH SURVIVE._ She was looking at him with desperate eyes, other hand clutching her stomach. She was wearing all black, her hair was greasy and tangled – looking like she has not taken a bath for days. “Handsome young man, would you be kind enough to help a poor witch survive in this cruel world?”

He looked at her, and then at the plastic bag in his hand. Nicky whispered, “Neil, you wouldn’t.”

He frowned at the other. “Why not?”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “How did you survive alone for years? You and martyrdom,” He grunted.

Neil threw a glare at Aaron and then crouched to place the plastic bag in front of the old lady. He was receiving confused and worried looks from the passer-by’s, and they were making him jittery, but he pushed the feeling away. He smiled hesitantly. “I hope it’s enough. There is also a bottle of water inside.”

She smiled. “You’re too kind.”

He blinked. “Kind?” He didn’t deserve such high praise. It was just a container of food. He honestly didn’t know what he would do with it. And, he had killed with his hands.

“I’m a witch.”

“Yeah, so?”

“I can curse you or kill you at this moment,” She said with mischief in her eyes.

He was itching for a cigarette. “So can this guy,” He retorted pointing at Andrew, who was standing silently beside him. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Thank you, child. To return the favour, if you can wish for anything right at this moment, what would it be?”

Neil felt Andrew’s eyes on him. And realising that he couldn’t really ask for anything more than he already had, and seeing that he didn’t really believe with what the woman was saying, he waved her off and said with a little sardonic smile, “Care to give me one last week to bond with my dead mom?”

He heard Kevin choke, Nicky let out a strangled laugh, Aaron making a noise of disbelief and almost _heard_ Andrew roll his eyes.

His eyes widened when the woman smiled. “Your wish is my command.” With that, she suddenly vanished, along with her signage and the food Neil gave her.

He gaped at the place where the woman was just moments ago. He blinked twice and turned towards the others. “You saw that too, right?”

Aaron and Nicky nodded, eyes still wide. Andrew was staring at the block where she was sitting on. Kevin seemed uncertain what expression fit the moment so he sighed and just massaged his temple.

Neil scratched the back of his neck, and then shrugged. “So I guess I have seen everything strange in this world now,” He commented and walked ahead. He casted a glance at Andrew, who immediately set to walk beside him, their fingers just half an inch away from each other. He smiled a little when Andrew’s pinky tapped against his own.

 

* * *

 

 

Neil’s eyes widened when the moment he opened the bedroom door, a knife was pressed against his throat and he was slammed against the wall.

Just as quick as the attacker, he took one of his own knives and pointed it at the other’s abdomen. Violence ran through his blood veins, and he wanted nothing but to stab his attacker but something was holding him back. He didn’t know what. It didn’t help that he could not see the other’s face since he woke up before sunrise and the whole suite was still dark.

“Don’t move or I will slit your throat,” The other hissed. Neil almost didn’t believe his ears as his entire being shook with the assailant’s voice. 

His heart thudded with the familiar voice. The voice that still haunted him whenever he remembered that all of the promises he made with her were broken, one by one. The voice that snapped at him when they were on the run because he was slowing them down and would get themselves killed. The voice that told him last words that always echoed in his head when he succumbed in memories.

He gulped and the other followed his Adam’s apple with her knife. “Mom?” He whispered.

A moment later, the lights in the living room were turned on. And right in front of him was the face of the person he watched die beside him in the car that he burned in a beach miles away. In front of him was the face of the person whose bones he buried to get rid of evidences. The face of someone who looked nothing like him yet he remembered vividly.

Her eyes that were filled with alertness and fury turned confused to shocked in a matter of seconds. That was probably one of the handful of times that Mary Hatford ever showed emotions easily.

“Abram?” She murmured, uncertain as she frowned upon him. She was just an inch taller than him. The Hatford’s had never been on the tall side. It’s one of the few things he got from his mother. Despite the minimal difference between their heights, she towered over him.

He was ripped away from her heavy hands when Andrew grabbed his arm, and pushed her away from Neil. The blond took out his own knife and pressed it against Mary’s own throat. He couldn’t careless with the knife’s point drawing a droplet of blood down Andrew’s throat.

“Who are you?” Andrew growled.

Mary gritted her teeth. “Who are _you_?”

Andrew was about to pounce at her when Neil found his footing and screamed, “She’s my mother!” That froze the blond. He turned towards Neil with eyes filling with confusion.

Mary pushed Andrew away, and hid her knife somewhere in her belt bag, and faced Neil. He was opening his mouth, unclear what he was even going to say, when she suddenly grabbed him by his hair to pull him near. “Who the fuck are you?” Her tone could bring hell towards anyone.

“M-Mom, I’m _Abram_ ,” He muttered, gesturing towards Andrew, and the newly-awoken Kevin, to keep their distance. He could see how much effort it took for Andrew to follow his request and to not rip him away from Mary. Andrew’s hand visibly shook with how tight he held onto his knife, prepared to slit Mary’s throat at any given moment.

Mary’s eyes turned blank. She shook him, and pulled his hair even more. He tried his best not to react, and let her manhandle him even if it felt like hell. “Abram would _never_ be foolish enough to use his natural hair colour again. Abram is not stupid enough to not use contact lenses. And he will not be saying this name of his easily.” She bared his teeth at him. “So who are you?”

“I am Neil Josten,” He stated. “And you are supposed to be dead already.”

She stared at him, and he stared back with all the ferocity he could to show him he was Abram _and_ Neil. She scoffed and threw him sideways. She looked around, took out her knife, and sat down on one of the study tables’ chairs.

Andrew was quickly by Neil’s side the moment Mary threw him. He sighed into the blond’s hand as Andrew prodded his scalp for any damage. Kevin was still on the doorway, expression disbelieving.

He stood up, and said with his back towards them, “Andrew, Kevin, I would like to talk to her alone.”

Kevin was quick to follow through his request, moving robotically as if he wasn’t sure if he was still asleep, but Andrew stood his ground.

“Andrew.”

“No.”

He sighed. With their individual stubbornness, no wonder people ask how they ended up together. “Andrew, it will only take few minutes.”

Instead of going outside, the blond stubbornly walked towards the other wall and leaned against it. “Few minutes that could lead to disaster. No.”

Neil sighed heavily and casted the goalkeeper a dirty look. “Andrew, I would still be here when you come back.”

The other’s gaze hardened as he scoffed. “The last time I let you leave my side, you came back as damaged goods. It’s a no, Neil. Do not force me.”

He was preparing a response when Mary intervened. “What does he mean?”

Neil sighed, and walked until he was in front of her. “I—“

She must have sensed that he was planning on lying or omitting certain details about the past year and few months but she snarled at him, warning him, “Do not dare to lie to me. You will regret it.”

So he took a deep breath and re-capped everything that had happened until yesterday’s occurrence which might have been connected to this miracle. He glanced at Andrew’s blank face once in awhile. The blond looked like he was somewhere else but Neil knew with the few twitches in his expression that he was reacting with Neil’s unedited version of story—he heard everything when he spilled the details to the Feds months ago and he definitely knew that Neil watered it down when he was telling everything towards the Foxes months ago. However, there might have been details about their families that Andrew has just learned.

When Neil finished retelling everything, silence loomed in the living room of their suite.

“I want to kill you,” His mother growled.

He did not flinch. But he saw the sudden tension in Andrew’s shoulders.

“I want to punish you until you re-learn everything I have told you. I want to strangle this obsession you have with Exy with my bare hands,” She hissed. “All for a fucking sport.”

Neil blinked. “You actually believe me?”

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. “I would know if I was reckless enough to let you have this transition back to your old appearance, Abram. I would remember it even in hell.” She stood up and pocketed her knife. “A week is long enough to gather some contacts and to ensure that Stuart does something else with this deal you have struck with Mori—“

No, he had had enough of her manipulation when they were still on the run. He had been twenty two other identities. No one would take Neil Josten away from him. He clenched his fists at his sides, and said firmly, “I am going to stay here.”

Mary twisted towards him slowly, her expression exasperated. “Foolish boy, did you really think that the main family will truly take care of you?”

“I am one of their investments—“

“And you are a fragile thing. Try getting hit by a car right now and lose the ability to stand, and let’s see if he would not turn up the day after to kill you himself,” She spat. “This is the reason why I have tried so hard to pull you away from this sport. It will only endanger you.”

He gritted his teeth and took a step backward. “I cannot believe you omitted everything important in your mind already. Mom, Exy _freed_ me.”

She huffed. “It just placed you inside a bigger cage wherein the tamer was the main branch’s _lord._ ”

“Exy led me to the Foxes – to my family,” He growled, wanting to have Andrew’s hand on the back of his neck to reassure him, to ground him, because he was slowly blowing his own fuse.

She strode towards him in two big steps and hissed, _“I_ was your family. No one else. Your life is not a fiction. This is not a fairy tale, Abram.”

He stood unflinching in front of his mother, and whispered with a tone he knew, himself, was too vulnerable, “I am happy here with the family that took me in. Happiness-- do you _know_ that word, Mom?”

He knew he hit a nerve when her expression crumpled and she swiftly raised a hand in the air. A second before her palm made contact with his cheek, Andrew’s hand gripped Mary’s arm to halt her. “I am tired of watching in the sidelines. You will not lay a finger on Neil.”

She tried to pull her arm away but Andrew just made his grip tighter. “Andrew Minyard, you said? I know your kind, boy. I know—“

Andrew grew tired of her threats, and let her go. In an instant, he stood between the two Hatford’s and use his body to barricade Neil from his Neil’s mother’s resentful hands. “Listen here, Mary. I don’t fucking know how you went back from the dead, but I am actually glad you will be back six feet under in five days because I cannot stand you.” He took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. “This is the thing, we have lives outside of this suite. The other Foxes are living in the same floor, and considering Day, he might have already spilled the beans and have also informed Coach, the team nurse and the team’s shrink. You will not leave this suite. At all, or you will be back in your grave days sooner than necessary.”

She looked at Neil through Andrew. “Do you let this midget rule your life?”

Neil was about to respond when Andrew cut him off with a raised hand.

“You will listen to what I just said because we don’t need you to fuck our lives up, it’s fucked up enough. If you truly want Neil to survive, you will stay here to keep the controversy away from you and focused on his career. Because, after all, you wouldn’t want Neil to come back to hell with you, do you?”

It shouldn’t but Andrew’s sharp words comforted Neil. Andrew didn’t care who the person in front of him was. He didn’t care that this was Neil’s mother. He didn’t care how morbid he sounded as he threatened her. What only mattered was that she wouldn’t lay a hand on Neil. Without or with a deal, they have each other’s backs. He hesitantly held onto one of Andrew’s sleeves. “Andrew, that’s enough. The sun has not even risen, you could go back to sleep.”

Andrew half-turned, his knife slowly disappearing in the sheath under his arm band. “Don’t think I would let you take your run when this lunatic is in our living room. You will go back to our bedroom, Neil. You won’t take your run unless it’s sunrise.”

He gave the blond a disbelieving look. “Andrew—“

“Shut up. I’m still too sleepy for this shit. You leave your mother here, and let’s go back inside. I will not drive and look around for you two if she kidnaps you.”

Rubbing one of his eyes, he nodded in defeat. He faced his mother, who was still sitting on their couch, silently watching their exchange. Looking at her in this lighting, and observing her without being scolded that they were wasting time gave him better perspective that there were actually attributes that he got from his mother: the shape of his ears, where his hair parted, how he could pull a blank face by giving out lidded dead eyes. It kind of constricted his heart that he just this found out because he was given a chance to do so _after_ she died.

“It’s amazing how pliant you are when it comes to his commands,” She said, her expression accusatory.

He threw a glance at Andrew, and then shrugged at his mother. “Not really. I could be stubborn as fuck, it is just that he made a fair point on why he doesn’t want to leave me with you.”

Mary smirked and twirled her knife. “In short, you don’t trust your own mother.”

“Mom, you don’t trust me either.”

She turned quiet. Her eyes roamed around their living room and then she turned to look back at Andrew. “Go back to your cave. I have more questions but it is indeed too early to deal with this fucked up situation. I will try sleeping, I don’t think I have ever actually slept deeply when I was still alive.” She scoffed. “I wonder why.”

The answer was a name of a monster no one wanted to utter out loud.

He took a deep breath and turned towards the bedroom. Kevin was leaning against the front door’s frame, his eyes puzzled and still shocked. Neil shook his head at him and nodded towards the bedrooms, indicating one thing: sleep it off first. The ex-raven rolled his eyes and obliged. Neil followed after Andrew towards their bed. He casted one last look over his shoulder towards the miracle he didn’t expect and found his mother also staring back at him. His breath hitched with the expression he caught in her eyes: longing, as if it was just sinking in that he was actually there in front of her, alive with no fright in his own eyes and actions.

He turned back in front and found Andrew staring at him from his bottom bunk bed. He was surprised when Andrew offered his hands, palms up once the door closed behind Neil. Neil gulped and placed his own on top of the blond’s calloused ones. He ran his fingers over the calluses and released the breath he did not remember holding.

“You’re safe and sound,” Andrew stated.

He nodded with a grim smile, and intertwined their hands, knowing full well they were not really going back to sleep, and that Andrew just brought him back here because Neil was internally breaking down. Neil would be forever grateful for Andrew Minyard.

 

Neil opened his eyes and senses with the smell of omelette and bacon. He turned his head, expecting Andrew out of bed doing the cooking but he found Andrew’s eyes staring back at him in confusion.

“That can’t be Kevin,” He muttered. “The whole dorm would be in flames already if so.”

Andrew nodded. “Besides, I am pretty sure he is still snoring. I could hear it through the wall.”

He snickered. He was about to rub his eyes when he looked down and found that their hands were still tangled together. He couldn’t help the smile that came out. He lifted them and whispered, “Yes or No?”

“Yes.”

Neil then placed a gentle kiss on Andrew’s right hand knuckles which had raised skin from too much sparring with Renee. Andrew’s eyes darkened and he reciprocated, of course he would, by lifting the other hand and squeezing the back of Neil’s neck as assurance.

 

They walked out of the bedroom, ready to face the day when they found two plates of breakfast on the table with a woman with tied hair facing her back at them, chopping something on the counter.

That was when it hit Neil that what happened was not a dream and he actually was granted a whole week with his supposedly dead mother and today was the first day.

She stiffened upon their entrance and slowly turned her head. Neil met her eyes. She was the first one to speak after a minute of silence. “Here’s the thing, this might as well be like a farewell gift from heaven, hell or purgatory. I just know that I was revived for…how long did you ask for again?”

“A  week.”

“Yeah. So I will be here, with you, for a week. I don’t know what I need to fulfil and all that bullshit, but I am pretending that I am actually a live person so I will do normal things, or as normal as Hatford’s could be. Does anyone in media know the face of your mother?” She asked as she expertly flipped a pancake from the pan to the plate.

Kevin, who had woken up and quietly followed after them, couldn’t stop his amazed response.

He shook his head and started warming up the coffee machine. “No. No one does. They were mainly intrigued with the Wesninski’s. Besides, they knew you were dead anyway so they did not bother looking up information about you.”

She made a curt nod as response, flipped another two and then placed that plate on the table.

He watched her fast hands at work in fascination. “I never knew you know how to cook.”

“We have been run—we ran for eight years, Ab—Neil, we don’t go inside grocery stores unless necessary. I did not exactly had the privilege to even think of recipes. But I did cook for you and Nat—“ He started to tense so she retracted, “ _that monster_ when we still lived in Baltimore.”

They all turned when there were knocks on the front door. Mary immediately gripped the knife and glared at the door. To show that there was nothing to worry about, Neil strode towards the door and opened it since he had an inkling on who could it be.

He was not that surprised to see the upperclassmen outside. Nicky did not even ask and walked inside their room. The others followed after. “Yeah, you can come in,” He whispered sarcastically.

“What was that, Neil?” Dan asked. He knew that teasing tone, and he did not need a marathon in this weather.

He closed the door behind him. “Nothing.”

Andrew was already seated on the dining table after grabbing the plate with four pancakes on it. He made a show of sniffing them for poison, to which Mary glowered at him. He was cutting them into small pieces as Kevin filled their mugs with coffee as if Mary was not standing tensely by the stove.

Matt inhaled sharply when Mary turned her attention to him due to his bulky body, which Mary was surely not accustomed to. Neil was not looking forward to her meeting Wymack. “So it’s true. We ignored most of Kevin’s blabbering earlier because we thought he just had a nightmare. Apparently, he was not lying.”

Kevin gulped down a mug of coffee in one go whilst glaring at Matt.

Nicky was gripping Aaron’s arm. “Aaron, we should have given ours to that witch. We could have asked for anything!”

Aaron pinched his cousin. “ _That’s_ what you’re concerned about?” He snarled. “A zombie is literally in front of us.”

“I’m not a zombie. Shut your fucking mouth,” His mother snapped, and threw a venomous look at Neil. “A single midget is not enough for you? Did you really have to join a team with twins who are both insufferable? I do hope you were able to discern them from each other easily or I did not teach you properly.”

Dan’s face morphed in disbelief. “That’s not how you talk to your son you have not seen for years, and whom you abused—“

“Dan,” He snapped.

Mary huffed. “So they know?” She did not need an answer. “You really have broken all of the promises you made before I die, Neil. I want to bury you where you buried me years ago with how much anger I am currently feeling.”

“Hey, _fuck_ _you_!” Aaron spat, surprising Neil, Nicky, Andrew and himself. He gritted his teeth and scoffed before looking away.

“Aren’t you at least pleased he is still alive after all the shit he went through?” Renee whispered, eyes narrowing at Mary.

Mary looked at Neil again with expression that screamed: _No._ Allison removed one stiletto for that and almost threw it at Mary’s head if not for Renee’s interference.

Nicky puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms, growling at Mary. “You, Ma’am, deserve to only exist for another more week. If you do more than that, we would have conspired to murder you ourselves.”

Mary turned off the stove and shoved one of the other plates towards Neil’s and Kevin’s directions. “Eat.” She slid the remaining plate towards the seat she chose, beside Andrew nonetheless.

Kevin obliged like a recently spanked kid.

Neil stared warily at the contents before hesitantly starting to eat, standing. It was pancakes with strawberries and a little bit of honey. He didn’t know how she knew but this was his favourite. When he subconsciously made a pleased noise with the food’s taste, he pretended not to see his mother smile a little.

 

Before they head to practice, the original Palmetto State Foxes gathered around the living room to talk how Mary’s appearance would affect their week.

“This is what we’ll do,” Dan started. “We’ll leave her here—“

“No,” Neil cut off.

Everyone’s eyes landed on him. Even Andrew’s seemed puzzled. Mary was flipping through the TV’s channels, stopping with the news channel.

“She only has a week with us, I don’t want to waste it on her sitting here. No one knows who she is anyway. We could just say she’s…” He paused for not even a second. “She’s Nicky’s Aunt, who is visiting for the week since she’s in town for some business.”

“Still a good liar,” His mother commented from where she sat.

“Shut up. Andrew snapped.

He ignored them. “She only has a week. Let’s give her the freedom I have gotten for so long. Let her at least enjoy a week without looking over her shoulder, freaking out whether someone is following us.”

Silence emerged in the room.

It was Andrew’s who broke it. “Fine,” He said, which surprised everyone. “If this would you feel a lot better for asking for this shit, then fine. However, you would not be left anywhere alone with her. You must always be accompanied with someone whenever you’re together. She is not going to lay a hand on you. She is not to hurt you in anyway. She is considered as a visitor and not as your mother because she lost that right the moment she abused you.” This, he growled with eyes trained only at Mary.

His mom did not respond out loud but scoffed and gave a small nod.

“Basically, let the week pass by normally?” Nicky asked.

Everyone then nodded.

As if on cue, Dan’s phone rang, and even without loudspeaker, everyone heard Wymack shouting, “Where the fuck are you brats? The practice will start in ten minutes!”

Everyone moved in autopilot, grabbing their bags, stuff, shoes and keys – shuffling in a hurry. Neil could see his mother watching and observing everything.

This would be a long week.

 

Mary’s distrust towards Wymack was not subtle. She hissed the moment he stepped out to meet the team. Since the Freshmen were already in the inner court, they explained everything to Wymack and the going-paler-every-minute Abby. And then they introduced her to the Freshmen as Nancy Woods, Nicky’s Aunt from his father’s side. The brats couldn’t care less.

Neil observed as the hostility between Andrew and Mary grew every time their eyes met.

He also observed how his mother grew quieter each moment that passed with them inside the stadium, it put him on edge for no reason.

His agitation grew when Jack brought up how he saw some similarities between Neil and “Nancy” and how the asshole wondered if the latter could also murder someone just like Aaron, Andrew and Neil could.

Based on her expression, it was evident that Mary heard him.

“Stop this fucking game you’re playing, Jack. I will not hesitate to go into your room and carve you inch by inch if you do not stop.”

Jack guffawed. “You even know how to torture! I am not surprised!”

No one bat an eye when a ball and a knife passed by beside Jack’s head, missing the freshman’s face by an inch. No one also commented that the ball came from the goal Andrew stood at and that the knife came from Neil’s direction. Sheena and Jack tried to comment on it but Dan slammed the butt of her racquet on the floor and growled that the practice must resume.

The rest of the day was spent with them being mostly-silently followed by Mary. He could not fathom what thoughts were going in her mind but he was hoping the next four days would pass by quickly and quietly.

 

* * *

 

 

Their practice ended up earlier than usual because it was Halloween and all of the Foxes who wanted to would gather in the basement with the other teams for a Halloween party. Afterwards, the Monsters were supposed to go to Eden’s Twilights to grab some drinks but Mary’s sudden appearance made the Monsters think of an alternative – celebrating in Nicky, Matt and Aaron’s suite with everything set and bought by the Monsters.

Basically, two parties in a night. Wymack, Abby and Bee were however invited on the latter one. They agreed to visit for an hour or so before departing into Wymack’s apartment to have an ‘adult’ Halloween, which was mainly talking shit about the Foxes and their problems like adults that they were.

Mary was seated on a bean chair, scrolling through Kevin’s laptop, which she bullied from him, to read the news she had missed.

Neil and she had barely talked except from several hurtful bickering whenever one of them commented on something the other understood.

He painstakingly put on the costume Nicky got for him and emerged out of their bedroom with an unamused expression thrown at Nicky, who was supposedly a mummy. He squealed and then exclaimed, “Neil, you look amazing! Put these on!” He shoved the false teeth towards Neil so the auburn-head begrudgingly put them on and did his best to get used to them. “You turned even hotter.”

“Nicky, I’m a Hufflepuff,” was Andrew’s greeting as he emerged next. He was a Hogwarts students. Neil watched the Harry Potter movies with the Foxes in the span of two days few weeks ago. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he enjoyed it especially since he got more Harry Potter references now. He vowed to finish the books as soon as he could.

Andrew was wearing Slytherin colors and robes. He slicked his hair a bit which made Neil’s heart stutter because he looked stunning.

The goalkeeper raised his wand and pushed Neil’s cheek away with it. “Stop.”

Aaron went out of the bathroom with a bloody doctor’s robe and a bloody knife in one hand and a syringe in another. His face had blood splutters on them for extra dramatics. Neil had seen enough true blood to feel squeamish with obviously false blood that looked way too bright red and smooth.

Kevin was the first one to finish changing since he was a sumo wrestler. It took five minutes for most of the Monsters to stop laughing at how ridiculous their ‘Queen’ was. He was such a drama queen that it was actually funny.

“Andrew, there were hardly anything for Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. That’s all that’s left!” Nicky protested when Andrew glared daggers at him.

There were knocks on the door and when Aaron came back from opening it, he returned with Katelyn beside him. She was wearing a nurse version of Aaron’s costumer. She kissed Aaron’s cheeks, squealed at the others’ costumes and approached Neil, not looking at Andrew – who barely glanced at her.

“Neil, you would look even better with eyeliner and black lipstick! Can I put those on you?” She pleaded, seeming to look overly pleased with having Neil as a subject.

He was about to decline but felt Andrew’s curious look at him. He didn’t acknowledge the goalkeeper’s dizzying stare at him but he could feel the curiosity in that gaze. He looked at Katelyn, who Aaron trusts with his whole life, and then nodded. “Just those.”

Katelyn jumped in glee. “Oh, damn, Ali will be _so_ jealous I get to do this for you ‘stead of her!” She murmured and hurriedly took out her makeup stuff out of her bag.

 

Once Katelyn was done, Neil let the others have a look for few minutes before shoving them away, insisting that they would be late.

Andrew blinked and then strode back to their bedroom. “I feel like my look is incomplete,” Neil heard the blond mutter from their room.

“You need a Remembrall,” He called out with a grin.

“Fuck off,” Andrew responded from the bedroom before slamming its door shut.

Mary had her eyes on him and he was feeling twitchy with the stare. “Aren’t you way too old for this?” She hissed. “Wasting money over something you’d only wear for a day. Ridiculous.”

He clenched his jaw. “I’m using our blood money. I want to spend the remaining amount on what I want. It’s time to stop using it for documents to continuously change me. I _am_ Neil Josten, and I _do_ wear costumes on Halloween because I finally _could_.”

The others arrived back in the living room of the suite just a moment after he stated that. No one dared to get in between the parent and child.

When he thought that settled the conversation, he began to check his pockets for necessities. He didn’t expect his mother’s quiet, “You also wore costumes when you were a child during Halloween.”

He turned, and he wasn’t the only one curiously gazing at Mary Hatford as she stared at the laptop on her lap. “I did?”

She nodded, and she didn’t seem to notice when the other Foxes began to pile inside their suite so that the whole team would arrive in the basement together. She traced the keyboard and murmured, “We were invited for Halloween parties which were sometimes cover up for your father’s murder. The kids were usually asked to wear costumes. You were a yellow caterpillar at one year old. A teddy bear at two years old. A prince at three. A dragon at four. And then a cop at five.” He did vague recalls of roaring as a dragon at four years old. And then handcuffing anyone and everyone at five years old. He thought they were desperate imaginations for a good childhood.

“What happened after?” Nicky murmured.

Her eyes turned hard. “Things become shaky with his father’s partners. When he wasn’t called for a job on the sixth Halloween, he ripped N-Neil’s cowboy costume off, burned it in front of us, and then shoved Neil down the stairs when…” she paused and looked back at Neil, “when you cried at how I looked for that specifically since you requested to be one months before.”

“Shoved—“ Dan choked.

Neil touched his shoulder for phantom pains. “I do recall not speaking for a week and being on a wheelchair for almost half a month.”

There was a pregnant pause and the room was shrouded with a tense aura that it was evident no one knew what to say next.

Mary started to type something again. “Enjoy it. You look good,” She said and then shrugged. “Better than your father.”

He licked his lips and looked at the Foxes. This was a first from his mother, and he didn’t want to drown too much with the memories she shared and resurfaced. He was here to create new ones he willingly created to treasure. And if his mother willingly sharing these things to him was part of the night’s memories then it’s for him alone to know.

“Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was the second day. They were in the locker room, Mary seated in a corner just watching the whole spectacle with uninterested and half lidded eyes, talking about the next games they had to prepare for. Wymack pointed to Neil so the auburn head stood up in front and pointed at the television and at a particular player. He pointed out the mannerisms and observations he figured out from watching.

Affterwards, Abby returned with a bag of snacks. When she arrived in front of Neil, she ruffled his hair with a warm smile. “How was the party?”

He grinned and accepted her way of showing affection. She was different from Neil’s mother but she was the Foxes’ motherly figure and that was fine for Neil. “We found out that Kevin could actually be _too_ drunk.”

Abby laughed. “Well, that’s the two of us. We also found out how much liquor David could intake.”

“No surprise here. They are blood related, after all.”

“Hey!” Kevin and Wymack protested from where they were.

The team nurse’s expression turned serious as she assessed Neil’s collarbone from where it’s covered with his shirt. “How is your collarbone? Is it healed enough to remove the stitches?”

He eyed the other Foxes, who were not subtle with their eavesdropping, then pulled a side of his shirt to reveal the five-inch stitch on his collarbone. Andrew’s eyes turned darker in supressed rage.

All of a sudden, his mother was beside Abby. “Where is that from?”

“Someone threw Andrew a punch at the club we frequented a week ago. I received the punch on my collarbone when I shielded him. It was maybe a week or so ago.”

Mary glared at him. “Reckless as ever.”

Abby glared at Neil’s mother and prodded the stitches. “I apologize but you are way too covered with scars, sometimes it is hard to know whether one is still fresh or has healed.”

He shrugged, unaffected. “Not your fault. I would’ve left it as it was if Nicky didn’t call an ambulance.”

He received a smack at the back of his head from Kevin at that. Andrew also threw him an unimpressed look.

Mary looked at it more closely and then glanced at Abby. “You could remove the stitches.”

The team nurse didn’t hide her surprise. “How do you know?”

And so, Neil had no way out from under his mother and Abby as the two started a conversation about stitches – when to need one, how to know if it’s time to remove them, how to administer or remove them in emergency situations with no medical equipment—scarring, bruises and burns. The two shared information with solemnity Neil was uncomfortable with.

Surprisingly, the second day was spent with the Foxes training, and Mary getting slowly becoming comfortable with Abby and Wymack’s presence. Enough to drag Neil towards the locker room chair and using him as a reference on teaching Abby how Mary tended to their injuries when they were still on the run.

Seated beside the two women, he wasn’t certain how to react. He threw an incredulous towards Dan and received more bemused and confused looks from the others.

As he sat silently there, he figured this was far better than he ever anticipated. He never saw his mother hang out with any friend when they still lived in Baltimore. She was also too paranoid to accept any form of friendship or link with anyone back when they were still on the run.

This, truly, was better than he ever expected.

 

* * *

 

 

Andrew and Aaron had their weekly session with Betsy in Reddin on the third day of Mary Hatford’s one week revival so Andrew took almost half an hour to decide whether to continue with the session with Aaron or to stay with Neil, glowering distrust towards Mary the whole time inside their suite.

In the end, one reassuring smile from Neil and Andrew stood up from a beanbag chair and strode towards the bedroom. “Kevin, I’ll be gone in Reddin with Aaron. You stay with these dumbasses until I return.”

Kevin emerged with a pale face. “Andrew—“

Andrew glared at the taller striker as he put on a thin jacket for the windy weather. “You’re more than a foot taller than them, Kevin. Don’t be a coward.” He pocketed his phone and grabbed his sunglasses beside his keys. “Never ever leave them alone. Call me for any catastrophe.”

Neil perked up when the goalkeeper twisted to look back at him. He pretended he wasn’t just checking out Andrew’s strong and amazing biceps from behind. With the amusement in Andrew’s eyes, he was certain he was caught on the act. “Neil, don’t be an idiot.”

He rolled his eyes and shooed the blond away. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

With his usage of the ‘f’ word, he received a bouncy ball, which they seldom used for practice, thrown at his face. He almost didn’t manage to dodge. Andrew was out of the door before Neil could even flip the finger towards the other.

An awkward silence settled among them. Kevin sat on the couch with his headphones on, watching Exy games on his laptop, occasionally looking at the mother and child. Neil stood up to grab a glass of water as he turned on the TV to watch something. His mother was reading the newspaper.

An hour had almost passed when they all looked towards the door when they heard voices shouting out on the hallway. Neil recognized Jack, Sheena and the upperclassmen’s voices immediately. “Why do I have to ask _his_ permission?” Jack yelled. “You’re the captain.”

“So will Neil be in few months. Haven’t you noticed? He has been slowly grasping the leadership of the team. In several months, you will answer to him. I don’t understand and care what fucking problem you have with Neil – respect him,” Dan shouted back.

Jack’s loud footsteps stopped in front of their suite’s door. “He’s a fucking menace. Weak, small and reckless. He will be the death of this team. I won’t answer to someone who almost dragged this team down the gutter. I don’t know what the fuss is all about someone who can’t even hold his own. Neil Josten could rot in hell.”

Neil rolled his eyes. “I will drag you with me down there, Jack. Trust me, it will welcome me and accept whatever I would do with you reasonable.”

“Fuck you, Josten. You’re nothing but a pretty face who is clearly a danger to everyone around you,” Jack seethed outside of their room.

He scoffed at the door and returned to whatever show he was watching. His eyebrow twitched when Jack didn’t stop, banging on their door with clenched fists.

“Hey, Josten, how does it feel to be regarded as someone special just because you—“

Neil stood up, strode towards the front door and pulled it open – just in time to Jack knocking again. He dodged the freshman’s fists and then wrapped his hands around Jack’s wrists. The other struggled but he stayed solid on his place. Jack tried to kick him but he predicted that move as well before swinging his own leg to throw the other off balance.

Jack landed on his ass on the floor. He took a moment to be shocked before gritting his teeth. He glared daggers at Neil and then stood up to swing a fist towards Neil’s face. Neil swatted the other’s fist to the side before throwing his own punch right in the middle of Jack’s face.

The upperclassmen were all watching in the background. Matt cheering whenever he landed a punch because they were boxing partners and Neil had learned few tricks from the backliner. He threw them a thumb’s up. Dan and Matt whooped. Allison smirked. Renee was clapping with a pleased smile. Sheena looked at them in disgust and horror.

Jack went tumbling down on the ground, holding onto his bleeding nose and bruised jaw and eye. “Fuck you.”

Neil threw the other the middle finger and let the upperclassmen deal with the asshole. He slammed the door shut and was about to turn when he felt something pointed at the back of his head. He halted and didn’t dare move a muscle. His mind went haywired, thinking how an intruder could have gotten inside their suite when his mother spoke, “You’ve lost your touch, Neil.”

He moved to turn but he felt the gun digging onto his scalp, warning him. He locked his jaw, waiting. When after a minute and neither of them moved, he seethed, “What the fuck, Mom?”

“Where’s your gun?”

“I don’t use any,” He answered honestly. He should have expected the way his mother twisted a hand on his shirt. He bit his lip when she threw him on the ground. He felt than saw Kevin move from his right but then the ex-Raven stopped from his tracks when Mary pointed the gun towards him. “Kevin, don’t move,” He cried.

Kevin retorted him with an exasperated and shaky, “Neil, she’s—“

He ignored his fellow striker before levelling his mother with a cold smile. “What’s wrong, Mom? Afraid to pull the trigger? Didn’t you tell me to only think about my own survival – you would’ve been killed by now if I am not hesitating on killing you again.”

She slouched in front of him and sneered at him. “Abram, this is not how I raised you. You can’t win all of your battles with brute force. Where the fuck is your gun?” She enunciated each word of the last question angrily.

He glared at the gun in her hand. “I threw it after you died. I have always hated pulling the trigger and doing collateral damage when I miss. I’d rather have my hand dirty.”

He didn’t expect her to suddenly throw herself at him until he couldn’t breathe with her elbow on his diaphragm and gun pointed at his head. “Your lack of self-preservation disgusts me. I can’t believe I wasted eight years of my life teaching you how to survive just for you to end up like this. You would’ve been better off if we accepted my brother’s offer of being part of the Hatford mafia. You would’ve ended up as a translator and lived under big people’s protection.” She pressed her elbow deeper, making him wheeze with how much harder it was to breathe. “Bring me Abram back.”

He didn’t know what hurt more. Her last sentence or the blunt of the gun possibly breaking several of his ribs when she slammed it hard on his torso. He heard Kevin making a frightened noise somewhere but he couldn’t pay him any mind with the pain he experienced. He stifled his scream but when she yanked his hair to pull him on a sitting position, he couldn’t helped howling when every move felt like knives were puncturing his insides.

“Stop screaming. You’ve suffered worse. You know I only have almost two days left. I’m doing this to let you live, Abram. Get up. Get up and fight me. Show me why I should let you stay here.” When he just glared at her, with an arm wrapping around his middle, she tried to pull him up again to which he crumpled. “Get the _fuck_ up, Ne—“

When the door opened behind her, she twisted with gun on hand. He saw familiar figures so he gritted his teeth through the pain and threw himself at her. His sudden movement caused her to pull the trigger. The bullet grazed his shoulder and then landed on the dresser beside the window.

In a blur, she was yanked off of him. He watched with wide eyes as Andrew came barrelling inside their suite and pulling Mary off Neil as if she didn’t weigh almost as much as Neil. Andrew didn’t stop at that, though. He growled like an animal as he straddled her and pulled out a knife.

There were screams as Renee ran towards the other goalkeeper and shielded Mary from Andrew. She stood, unafraid, even if Andrew was now glowering at her. “Andrew, this is not what you want to do. You would end up in jail. Andrew.”

Andrew’s grip tightened as he struggled not to stab Renee. Neil wanted to stand up and go towards them but every movement made him feel like his middle was being ripped into pieces. Aaron shoved the upperclassmen out of the way and reached for Neil. He glared at Neil and then raised an eyebrow.

He breathed a pained, “Yes.” Aaron went to work immediately by studying and pressing onto Neil’s injuries to know the damage done. Neil fought hard to understand what the backliner was saying but he was losing focus, his eyes trained on Renee, Andrew and Mary. He yelped when Matt and Nicky teamed up to help him move into a more comfortable position.

Kevin was restraining both Dan and Allison from lunging towards Mary. His phone lying on the ground, beside his feet. He must have called Andrew while Neil and Mary were fighting, making no noise to ensure Andrew heard everything that was happening. He watched as Allison squirmed from Kevin’s arms. She had both of her stilettos in her hands. Dan had her clenched fists, fighting hard against Kevin’s hold.

When he saw Andrew’s stance change, Neil mustered all of his remaining strength to gasp out the other’s name, “Andrew.” He raised a hand and reached for the blond goalkeeper. “Andrew,” He said louder. “’Drew,” He slurred, eyes distracted by the blood dripping down his arm from where the bullet scraped his shoulder. He was pretty certain a part of the meat of his shoulder was ripped.

He lifted his gaze when a hand hovered over his chest. He subconsciously smiled upon seeing Andrew beside him. “’Drew,” He called and reached for the blond with his two arms. Upon the other’s nod, he painstakingly lifted himself until he had his arms wrapped around Andrew’s neck.

Andrew’s arms around him were tight yet gentle. He breathed on the blond’s neck, taking comfort with the familiar scent. “Neil.”

Neil nodded and smiled slightly. He didn’t know what brought on the new tension on Andrew’s expression until he realized that blood dribbled down his chin. His eyes widened when he felt his torso going numb.

Andrew’s jaw clenched. “Stay. Neil, stay. You promised me you’ll stay,” He growled. The only give away that he was worried with Neil’s condition was the constant glance towards Neil’s mouth where his mouth continued to overflow with blood.

Few more moments and the room was suddenly filled with medics. As he drifted off towards slumber, he swept his eyes around his surroundings – Kevin was heaving in the bathroom, Aaron was explaining Neil’s injuries to the EMTs, Nicky was crying in Renee’s welcoming arms, Matt restrained Allison as she went for Mary, her slaps and punches heated and full of hate, Dan – with tear filled eyes—met up with Abby and Wymack outside of the hallway. Andrew. Andrew stood like a silent storm beside Neil, unwilling to leave his side no matter what.

 

* * *

 

 

Andrew had hated Tilda Minyard. As he stood in front of another mother who didn’t know anything but inflicting pain upon her child, he realized he _despised_ Mary Hatford. He didn’t care if her eyes looked haunted from what she just had done. He didn’t care that a tear dropped down her cheek as she watched Neil be taken away on a gurney. He definitely couldn’t care less that she had countlessly looked through the door of the Emergency Room to see if the surgery was done.

Just like in Baltimore, the Palmetto State Foxes united the most when one of them was targeted and hurt. They stood together, uniting around and behind one of their own that brought them together with his half-truths, quick wits and jittery mannerisms. 

When he knew no nurse or doctor was near, Andrew trailed his gaze from the ground towards Mary’s green ones. They were far different from Neil’s (or even Kevin’s similar emerald eyes). Hers held anger, envy and insanity. Neil’s had always been honest, bright and expressive. They held the secrets of the universe that Andrew never even thought he wanted to discover until he was drowning from those icy blue eyes.

“You managed to fuck up within three days of your resurrection. I’ll give you a chance to make a final wish—where do you want me to bury you in?” He asked in a bored tone. He didn’t believe in regret even if there was a part of his brain blaming him for not trusting his gut instincts to stay and not do a session earlier. He also didn’t believe in remorse. Neil was inside, and whether he survived or not, Andrew knew that Neil would try his best to fulfil his promise of staying.

No one scolded him, which spoke a lot regarding what state of anger the Foxes were in. Neil was supposed to be safe and sound already – away from his demons. Yet here he was again, fighting for his life as if he didn’t just few months ago.

“Bury me beside a huge tree. Don’t leave any tombstone with my name on. Just a solid rock so that you’d know where it is,” She answered, her eyes trained on the Emergency Room door. “Don’t make him bury me. He has buried me once, and it must have cost him years of his life to do that. He doesn’t deserve to go through it twice.”

“Oh. And he deserved to be beaten up by his own mother just because he chose to live in his own terms than your own?” Nicky snapped, tears still trailing down his cheeks. Andrew looked over his cousin and found wrath he hasn’t seen for so long in those dark eyes. Nicholas Hemmick was devastated with what happened in last year’s Thanksgiving in his own parents’ home. But right now, he was _furious._ “I tried to give you the benefit of doubt because Neil does his best to defend you even if you caused him half of his scars but I draw the line here. Neil is like a younger brother to me – to _us—_ who has always chosen us over his own life. He deserves the world, not your maltreatment.”

Mary bared her teeth. “I did those so that we would survive—“

She didn’t finish her sentence because Dan had stood up to slap her cheek. She must have used all of her anger because in an instant, Mary’s cheek was red. “Fuck you,” The Foxes’ captain spat, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You weren’t there when we took him in. He was barely smiling. He was jittery as fuck. He did nothing but cause trouble. But we love him because he adores us despite our differences. He did his best to unite us – uncaring how broken we each were. He just cared that we cared for him. You fucked him up. I hate you.”

Mary’s eyes shone with tears she would never spill because of her pride. “Fuck you too. You think you know my son just because he became your teammate? He was more than this. More than this fucking game that ruined everything. He was—“

“ _Was,_ ” Renee intervened. Andrew was genuinely surprised she spoke up. She tend to look for the positive in people, to give them however many chances they needed. However the dark glint in her eyes said that she had seen enough to lose her faith for Mary Hatford. She would reach for her knives and stab the other in seconds if deemed necessary towards Neil’s safety. “Neil Josten is not who he _was_ when he was with you. He has chosen to remain this person he created and cherished – Neil Josten.”

Allison was bare feet. She broke her stilettos after going after Mary with her shoes. She didn’t care when she ran inside the hospital wearing tight dress with nothing covering her feet. She even brandished her bare feet as if she won the Olympics by using her shoes to almost stab Mary. “Don’t make me want to bash your face with my other stilettos. I didn’t buy them for that purpose but I would use them if for our baby fox.”

Mary opened her mouth to spit nonsense but they all startled when Matt stood up to slam a fist on the wall. “Shut up,” He hissed. Matt rarely got upset or angry. He only did so when it came to those he cared for. Andrew witnessed this with the black eye Kevin sported after Neil returned from Evermore. Andrew’s mind, the traitor, started to show him images of what Neil suffered through back then. Images created through Neil’s own stories of what he remembered. He blinked back to reality when Matt, with his deep and powerful voice, growled, “You’re an evil woman. There’s nothing more painful than being hurt by the very person you thought would protect you. And that’s what Neil experienced from both of his parents. What did he ever _do_ to you?” He screamed the last part, emotions overflowing.

Andrew almost rolled his eyes. They were going hysterical with emotions they couldn’t control. He almost scoffed at their naivety until his hand subconsciously reached for his cigarettes and he got reminded that he preferred smoking with someone now. Someone who was still not out of the Emergency Room. Damn it.

Aaron was silent the whole time. He wasn’t even on his phone, just playing with the keychain hanging from it. His twin open and closed his phone before sighing and running a hand through his hair. He had always tried to copy Andrew’s blank expression but always failed especially at the moment, he was nothing but affected – probably flash backing to when he was alone with Tilda.

Kevin was shaking on his seat. He was inside the very room everything happened. He seemed rattled but one look at him told Andrew that he wasn’t trembling from trauma or fear but because of rage. He was breathing hard as he stared hard at Mary Hatford. “I wish you never returned,” The ex-Raven spat. His voice was just a whisper but it conveyed how much he meant his words.

 

They all perked up when the Emergency Room’s light dimmed, indicating the operation was finished. Wymack and Abby, who were silent the whole time, stood up and approached the exiting doctor and nurses. Andrew was right at their tail. The doctor removed his bloody gloves and pulled down his mask. “Neil Josten?”

The doctor was sceptical, at first, on whether they were truly who Neil Josten’s guardians were, until Wymack chewed him off with words Andrew himself hadn’t heard for so long from the old man. The doctor was unaffected as he nodded and explained the situation.

Neil’s rib cage was broken severely, the top almost tore a critical blood vessel. Thankfully, it missed by few centimeters. The middle, though, had punctured his lung which caused the vomiting of blood and the long surgery. His shoulder was stitched and didn’t have any complications, fortunately missing any important muscle or vessel despite the bullet.

The doctor tried to question what caused Neil’s injuries and his old and new scars but no one batted an eye, remaining quiet. Andrew took out money to ensure they stayed silent about these certain queries but he guessed they mustn’t been enough.

Sighing, the doctor explained that Neil was to be moved to a more private room and could be visited in half an hour.

“What’s his condition?” Abby whispered, paling.

The doctor understood what she meant and smiled reassuringly. “He’ll be alright. He just needs time to heal and he’ll be back on his feet. He’s an Exy player, is that correct?” He received nods. “He’ll be able to play after his ribs heal, do not fret.”

There was a collective sighs of relief. The ringing in Andrew’s ear subdued, replaced by that need to see a certain red-head with his annoyingly bright blue eyes, witty smile and smart mouth. His hand itched to hold onto anything that reminded him that Neil was alive and well.

He could wait.

 

He couldn’t wait. He stood outside of Neil’s door, waiting for the remaining two minutes to pass so that the nurse would let them in. Andrew got hold of Neil’s blood money (Neil gave him the safe’s code willingly for situations like these) and used some of it to ensure Neil got a big, private room in the hospital. Neil deserved a non-claustrophobic looking room. He hated hospitals after all.

The moment the nurse nodded at him, he strode inside with Wymack and Abby. The others would get their turn after the team coach and nurse visited. Mary would get inside last, with time restriction of five minutes.

Neil’s awake, surprisingly. He was half seated on his bed, playing with the cord of his IV drop, which most likely held morphine for his pain because he was grimacing at the innocent liquid dripping from it.

He turned his head forward upon their entrance. Andrew’s heart jumped upon the happiness he saw on those eyes once they landed on his visitors. Neil smiled warmly as Wymack and Abby fretted over him and his situation. He submitted willingly to Abby’s gentle hug and then scowled with how hard Wymack ruffled his hair.

With the promise of the other Foxes entering within the next ten minutes, Wymack and Abby left Andrew alone inside with Neil. He watched as the door closed behind him. He looked forward and found Neil staring at him.

“Are you high?”

Neil cackled at his greeting and then shook his head. “I have high tolerance towards morphine.” He lifted his hands and spread his fingers. “’Drew.”

He wanted to stay where he was just to spite Neil but his traitorous feet dragged him towards the bed. He dipped and let Neil wrap arms around his neck. He rolled his eyes when the striker breathed in his scent. “The fuck are you doing?”

“The whole room reeks of medicine and chemical. I wanted a familiar scent,” Neil answered honestly and released Andrew in stages.

As Andrew looked at the other closely, he saw the exhaustion and pain. He noticed the dryness of those lips, the darkness under those eyes, the tension in his upper body, the shakiness of his hands the paleness he hadn’t seen for quite a while, and the pain in those usually bright eyes. Andrew’s heartstrings, which were shockingly there within him, were tugged painfully. Despite his better judgment, Andrew gingerly clasp Neil’s hair. After Neil’s nod, he let his finger run through auburn locks. He sat down beside Neil’s pillow and let the striker rest his head on Andrew’s side.

The rest of the Foxes trailed inside after about eight minutes. There were various reactions and Neil all welcomed them. He accepted kisses on his forehead (Allison) and cheeks (Renee) He chuckled on a pinch on the nose (Dan) and a big warm hug (Matt). He lent his chest for some crying (Nicky). He bickered about not being able to play with Kevin. He stared hard with Aaron before the backliner snorted, scoffed and then turned his head away.

After almost twenty minutes, they walked out, promising to visit if he stayed more than one night and a big welcome back party when he was discharged.

Neil’s hand on his arm stiffened when the least welcomed visitor entered. Andrew didn’t stir from where he sat beside Neil as Mary emerged. She walked with purpose and stopped right beside Neil’s other side. The two Hatford’s stared at each other for solid half minute before she whispered, “How are you?”

He smiled coldly. “Peachy. Thankful for morphine.”

It was a low blow because his mother rarely used morphine to ease Neil’s pain during their run from The Butcher.

Silence reigned for another half minute before Neil’s control crumbled. It must be the exhaustion, the pain or the memories but suddenly he was tearing up. He didn’t sob or hiccup. The tears just rolled down his cheeks, down his chin until their fell on his hospital gown. “If I had to choose between you and the Foxes. I wouldn’t hesitate to choose them, Mom.”

Mary nodded.

“All I wanted was to be good enough for you,” Neil spilled. “To survive because that was what you taught me. You told me survival was changing who I was every other month, that it was going under the radar and never being someone for long enough, that it was never slowing down and never turning back.” He stopped to catch his breath. “Survival meant sleeping alone in an abandoned building with a gun under my pillow, half asleep. Survival meant loneliness despite the people surrounding me.”

She bit her bottom lip and glared at the ground.

“Mom, all I wanted was to see you smile,” Neil whispered. “Even if that meant accepting the pain you inflicted upon me just because I slowed down. Even if that meant burning your body and burying you on a beach. Even if that meant I was ripped into pieces and left some fragments of me in several places around the world.”

Andrew accepted the tight squeeze around his fingers as he let the scene unfold in front of him. It was long overdue after all.

Neil’s voice shook as he pleaded, “Mom, I’ll let you go. Will you let me go?”

And Mary Hatford crumbled before their eyes. She knelt beside his bed, her arms folding beside his legs with her face propped on them. She cried for Neil’s former selves before whispering Neil’s current and permanent name.

She didn’t apologize because Neil wouldn’t accept any. He and Andrew knew that past is past. Sorry’s never undid what had happened. One just moves on and forward.

Mary found her voice after about a minute of sobbing. “I never loved your father. I hated you, even, at first. You were a product of something I never asked for. You looked exactly like him that I despised his genes. But you were such a wonderful child even if I abandoned you several times under your father’s ministrations.

You slammed a fist on his leg one time to stop him from hurting me. You were shaking from fear, big fat tears on your face, but you made an angry face as you faced your father’s fury. He laughed manically at you and left us alone for the day, saying he was too tired to deal with both of us. But after he left, you ran towards me and hugged me. You were barely three but you bore scars on your chest.”

Andrew placed a firm hand on Neil’s nape because Neil’s breathing was getting labored as if the memories were flooding in.

Mary continued, “That was the day I knew that you were not your father. You picked flowers for me. You always looked towards me when you made a goal in little league.” She paused and buried her face on his blanket. “I loved you, Abram. I was blinded for the need for you to be alive that I interchanged love to pain. All I wanted was to protect you.”

Andrew watched as Neil lifted a hand and ran it through Mary’s dark brown hair. He did this even after Mary raised her head to stare at her son. “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you. But I do thank you for the lessons you’ve taught me. Let Abram go.”

Mary fought hard to nod. “I will try.”

 

After the five minutes, she walked out of the room willingly. Leaving Neil and Andrew alone again. He looked at the aburn-head and felt something akin to panic when he saw the beads of sweat on Neil’s forehead. He was also breathing heavily.

“Neil.”

The striker shook his head and hovered his hand on Andrew’s hair. After a _yes,_ Neil pulled Andrew down until their foreheads were connected.

“Thank you for being here,” Neil whispered, slowly calming down.

He swiped the dry tear tracks on Neil’s scarred face, and then retorted, “If you say _‘you were amazing,’_ I will suffocate you with this pillow.”

Neil chuckled against him.

 

* * *

 

 

Mary Hatford’s fourth day and last day were spent watching her son heal from the injuries she inflicted upon him. They were spent watching him interact and laugh alongside the Palmetto State Foxes.

She knew that she would never gain their trust and respect, and that two days were not enough to compensate with what she had done so she stayed on the sidelines, regretting everything that had happened for the past eight to nine years. She yearned to be beside her child, hold him against her and protect him. Yet Neil Josten didn’t need her like he did before.

Perhaps he never did. If only she had explained everything to Abram when they first ran away from Baltimore then maybe she could have found a way to mend what was broken, to cross the distance she created with every scar she left on his body.

She couldn’t undo the past. The past five days was a roller coaster for her. But she did gain an important insight: her son is happy.

She couldn’t help the smile on her face when Neil laughed when Nicky failed to quickly give a word that ended with Q with their game of Word Chain. He laughed even more when he got to administer the whip cream punishment on Nicky. He placed a smudge on Hemmick’s nose, making him crossed eyes.

She couldn’t mend what she had broken but she believed that he found a way to piece himself into who he wanted to be. The answer was his will to live brought upon meeting his teammates. She knew from their reaction to what she had done two days ago that they would burn the world for her son.

 She couldn’t protect him anymore. She couldn’t ensure that he would always be safe and sound but someone else had replaced her anyway. He sat on a chair beside her son, reading a book as the others cackled around him. He was a constant on her son’s side. Relentlessly stubborn. Painfully honest. Reasonably protective. She was still uncertain whether she approved of Andrew Minyard but it wasn’t as if Andrew approved of her as her son’s mother either.

Her son’s smiling, living, contented and happy. She couldn’t ask for more.

 

At six in the evening of the fifth day, Neil opened his eyes, woken from his slumber by a voice whispering his name. He blinked his eyes open and found his mother standing beside him, just like she did two days ago.

He still flinched at her presence but the solemnity in her expression puzzled him. Andrew was stiff beside him, watching with hawk eyes her every step.

Mary Hatford, after almost nine or so years, smiled at him. His eyes widened as his mother smiled towards him. “I have to go,” She murmured, reaching for his face.

He leaned against his mother’s callused hands, closing his eyes as her lips pressed a kiss on his forehead. “Bye, Mom. I hope you find solace in the after life. Don’t worry about me.”

She nodded, her lips still on his forehead. “Prove them wrong, Neil Josten. Show them that a child isn’t always a replica of his parents.”

He opened his eyes to gape at her, trying hard not to read between the lines. She must have read what he was thinking because she sighed, “You’ve let me go. I’m letting you go.”

He grasped her shirt and clenched his jaw, doing his best not to cry. “Mom.”

“I’m letting you go,” She repeated.

He stared as she took a step back.

“I’m letting you go,” She breathed.

He and Andrew watched as she closed her eyes and disintegrated until the room was empty as if she was never there.

 

* * *

 

 

Neil raised his gaze when the front door opened, momentarily distracting him from the game on the TV. He received a smack on the back of his head for the distraction causing him to yelp and scowl at his fellow striker.

Kevin received one of his own from Andrew once he entered the suite. “Stop antagonising him,” Andrew said, dropping a bag on Neil’s lap, as he sat beside Neil with a tube of ice cream in his arm.

Neil took out a pack of strawberries and munched on them as he made Kevin rewind the tape. “Where did you go?” He murmured as he laid his head on Andrew’s shoulder.

The goalkeeper ate three spoonfuls of ice cream before answering, “Fulfilling a promise.”

He waited for elaboration but when none came, he opted not to ask. Instead, he happily bit into strawberries after strawberries as Kevin explained some Exy matches and players’ statistics. They were interrupted upon the others’ entrance, exclaiming that Neil was held hostage because of his injury. That they brought food and movies to entertain themselves. They situated themselves around Neil despite Kevin’s protests.

Andrew couldn’t care less as he ate his ice cream.

So, as he was surrounded by his family, he drifted to sleep uncertain whether he just dreamed Andrew’s hand on his hair, massaging his scalp and calming him down. He sniffed and snuggled onto the blond’s chest, clutching a hand on Andrew’s shirt, revelling on the other’s addicting scent.

There, he dreamed of a vaguely familiar huge tree. His mother’s silhouette beside the tree. He jolted awake and looked up at Andrew, who just stared at him in puzzlement.

He shook his head and smiled against Andrew’s chest, warm and happy with the other Foxes’ laughter echoing in their suite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Someday I would write a ficlet wherein Neil wouldn't get injured or hurt. Someday. Anyways, that's it! KUDOS AND COMMENTS FUEL MY LIFE AND GIVE ME HOPE FOR 2019.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed what you just read. It took me months to complete the plot and to be honest, I might have rushed it a bit but I am satisfied with it at the very least. 
> 
> In a way, they were granted closure. Mary abused Neil, they must recognize this. He might never forgive her for what she has done and she might still struggle to let him go. But the week gave them a chance. That's what matters. 
> 
> I cannot write fight scenes HAHAHA (Will I ever write an AFTG fanfic with less than 5000 words? Nope.)
> 
> May 2019 be kind to y'all!


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